Social networking systems, microblogging systems, bulletin board systems, etc. have developed as important sources for distributing information. These systems, which require user generation of content, are not adept at distributing information for locally advertised events, such as event advertisements listed on signs (e.g., signboards, sandwich boards, fliers, posters, etc.) at real world locations and for which the subject event or advertisement may only be ongoing for a limited time period. For example, a signboard placed on a street corner may display information relating to a real estate listing at a specific address for a specific date and time, a yard sale poster may be placed at a stoplight and simply have a graphic that points down a street with the words “Yard Sale”, a sign held by a person may advertise a sale at a nearby store by listing the name of the store and pointing at the stores location, as well as other advertisements for local and limited time events.
The above described example signs are typically ephemeral, in that they are placed and removed from their real world locations after a couple of hours, a day, or some other time period. Furthermore, there may be no other record of the event for which the signs advertise, except through the sign's own content. When there is a record of the event advertised by the sign, such as a real estate open house corresponding to a sign, a user would be required to manually search through web pages, real estate listings, real estate agent company listings, etc., enter query data, and otherwise search for the advertised listing's details. Such actions distract users from their current task at hand, such as driving, which may potentially be very dangerous. In addition to the safety considerations with distributing the advertised event's details, potentially interested parties may not even know of an advertised event unless they are proximate to and physically view the sign. Furthermore, even if there were a way to distribute information concerning the event, sign-based event advertisements are often incomplete regarding significant event details. For example, a sign may fail to display an event's address, a duration of the event, whether an event is still occurring, etc.